The 1995 Judge Dredd movie gets a lot of hate these days. The online consensus seems to be that it's a terrible film with little connection to the comics on which it's supposedly based. But is the Stallone movie really so far removed from the source material?
Judge Dredd was created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra for the British science fiction comic 2000 AD, and many of the characters and storylines featured in the 1995 movie are lifted directly from the source material. The storyline about Rico Dredd returning to Mega-City One to take revenge against his brother is adapted from 'The Return of Rico!' (2000 AD Prog #30, September 1977).
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/4zwe189w5/image.png)
The storyline about Dredd being framed for murder and having to clear his name is adapted from 'The Day the Law Died' (2000 AD Prog #89-108, November 1978-April 1979). The plot about Dredd teaming up with Fergee to regain control of Mega-City One from a corrupt Judge is also adapted from this arc.
There are many other comic stories referenced throughout the film, so let's break the movie down and see just how closely it adheres to the source material.
Like the comics, the movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States where most of the human population is crammed into vast Mega Cities that offer sanctuary from the irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth. Mega-City One is the city state covering the east coast of America. The version presented in the movie is visually faithful to the comics.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/belrnjl1x/image.png)
The citizens of Mega-City One are shown to live in huge blocks serviced by robot custodians. This is also accurate to the source material.
The first major character we meet in the film is Fergee (spelled 'Fergie' in the film's credits) played by Rob Schneider. In the movie his full name is given as Herman Ferguson, while in the comics he was simply known as Fergee. In the comics Fergee was an insane halfwit who inhabited the Undercity and played a significant role in 'The Day the Law Died'. In the movie he's a small-time crook who serves as the comic relief.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/acbl509yd/image.png)
Both versions of Fergee forge an alliance with Dredd while the latter has been exiled from Mega-City One. In the comics they teamed-up in the Undercity beneath Mega-City One, while in the movie they are forced to work together after their prison transport crashes in the Cursed Earth. In both stories Fergee helps Dredd sneak back into Mega-City One and dethrone the insane Judge who is ruling the metropolis (Cal in the comic, Rico in the film).
When Fergee arrives at his new apartment he finds a block war is in progress. Block wars are a common occurrence in the comics.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/50wokbb11/image.png)
The Judges' uniforms in the movie are mostly faithful to Ezquerra's design, except they're not made of leather and feature codpieces. Aside from those two deviations, they're accurate to the comics.
It's during the block war that we see Dredd himself for the first time, played by Sylvester Stallone. Judge Joe Dredd debuted in 'Judge Whitey' (2000 AD Prog #2, March 1977) and has remained a standard fixture in 2000 AD ever since. The Dredd of the comics is a fascist authoritarian bully and the most feared enforcer of Mega-City One's totalitarian judiciary. He is known for dispensing extremely harsh punishments for the most trivial of offences (e.g. blowing off a citizen's leg for ignoring a 'WALK DON'T RUN' sign). The Dredd in the film initially appears the equal of his comic book counterpart in both temperament and methodology, but gradually mellows into a more humanised characterisation as the story progresses.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/iul19cvwl/image.png)
Stallone's distinctive scowl recalls Ezquerra's original design for the character, while his muscular physique evokes the way artists were portraying Dredd in the eighties and nineties comics. Although Stallone's eyes are brown in real life, he wore blue contact lenses for the film. This was likely a nod to the cover of 2000 AD Prog #661 (January 1990), which depicts Dredd with blue eyes.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/vlz7fuxyt/image.png)
Perhaps the single biggest criticism of the movie is that Dredd removes his helmet to reveal his face. The Dredd in the comics has never shown his true features, and any time his helmet is removed there is always some obstruction to prevent his countenance from being clearly seen (e.g. bandages, the shadow beneath the brim of his hat, steam, etc). However in both the comic and the movie it is revealed that Dredd was cloned from Judge Fargo, and Fargo's facial features were shown in 'Dredd Angel' (2000 AD Prog #377, August 1984). This story predated the revelation that Dredd was Fargo's clone, which is why they allowed his features to be shown. And as you can see from the image below, Fargo's appearance was not unlike Stallone's.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/ci5vz95md/image.png)
Dredd's first line of dialogue in the film is his catchphrase from the comics: "I am the law!" This line is repeated several times throughout the movie.
Dredd's 'Lawgiver Two' in the film is a modified version of the Lawgiver Mk II from the comics. The movie Lawgiver shares several special functions with the comic version, including standard fire, rapid-fire mode, grenade shots, signal flare (called 'incendiary' in the comics) and armour-piercing rounds. The 'double whammy' function was created for the movie and does not feature in the comics.
In the comics the Lawgivers are booby trapped to self-destruct if anyone other than their rightful owner tries using them. They feature a similar security system in the movie, except instead of exploding they electrocute the person wielding them.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/fp0fiw5hx/image.png)
Dredd's Lawmaster motorcycle is visually faithful to the version in the comics.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/u87kkbls5/image.png)
Also present at the block war is Judge Hershey, played by Diane Lane. Judge Barbara Hershey first appeared in 'The Judge Child Quest Part VII' (2000 AD Prog #162, April 1980). In both the comics and the movie, she is one of the few people Dredd seems to like and respect. The movie suggests they have romantic feelings for each other, while in the source material their relationship remains purely professional.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/5ey0jnnc5/image.png)
In the comics the citizens of Mega-City One use a special dialect known as Mega-Speak. Examples of this, such as the expletive 'Drokk!', can be heard throughout the movie.
The film's depiction of the Grand Hall of Justice incorporates the eagle-motif from the comic book version.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/75hi4clr9/image.png)
It's at the Grand Hall of Justice that we are introduced to Chief Judge Fargo, played by Max von Sydow. Eustace Fargo was the first Chief Judge in the comics, as well as the source of the DNA code from which Dredd was cloned. He first appeared in the aforementioned 'Dredd Angel'.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/526mdr005/image.png)
As Chief Judge, Fargo leads the Council of Five. Also on the council is Judge Griffin, played by Jürgen Prochnow. In the comics Judge Griffin was the principal of the Academy of Law and was one of Dredd's allies during the war against Judge Cal. He was portrayed as an honest lawman and succeeded Cal as Chief Judge. In the movie he's portrayed as a villain and tries to take over Mega-City One with Rico's help. The Griffin in the comics did eventually become a villain during 'The Apocalypse War' storyline (2000 AD Prog #245–267 & #269–270, January-July 1982), but only because he had been brainwashed by the Soviet forces of East-Meg One. Ultimately he was executed by Dredd. His role in the film incorporates elements of Judge Cal's storyline from the comics. Griffin first appeared in 2000 AD Prog #27 (August 1977).
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/y4kwgl9f9/image.png)
The main antagonist in the film is Rico Dredd (played by Armand Assante), who first appeared in 2000 AD Prog #30. In both the comics and the movie, Rico was once Dredd's closest friend and a fellow Judge. But then Dredd caught Rico in the act of a crime and was forced to pass judgement on him. In the movie Dredd didn't know Rico was his brother when he judged him, but in the comics he knew all along.
In the comics Rico was sentenced to a penal colony on Titan where he had his mouth and nose surgically sealed as part of a procedure to allow him and the other prisoners to work in a vacuum. When he returned to Earth, he still bore the facial scars of this procedure. In the film he bears no such disfigurements and was instead imprisoned at a penal facility in Aspen.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/u87kkmbl1/image.png)
In both stories he escapes from prison and journeys to Mega-City One with the aim of taking revenge against his brother.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/jy55lddzp/image.png)
Like the movie version of Judge Griffin, much of Rico's storyline in the film is taken from the comic book character Judge Cal. The movie version of Rico also has parallels with the comic character Judge Judd, but I'll say more about that later.
Upon returning to Earth in the movie, Rico promptly acquires the instruments he will need to exact his revenge. This includes a Judge's uniform, a Lawgiver pistol and an ABC robot. The ABC Warriors is another popular series published in 2000 AD, beginning back in Prog #119 (June 1979). The leader of the team in the comics is a robot called Hammerstein, who had actually debuted a year earlier than Prog 119 in the 2000 AD sister publication Starlord: specifically in 'The Day of the Robot' (Starlord #1, May 1978). Although the robot in the movie is never referred to as Hammerstein (except in the acknowledgements on the end credits), he is clearly modelled on the same visual design. Hammerstein is a good guy in the comics, while the ABC Warrior in the movie is portrayed as a villain.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/3n51p16mt/image.png)
The sequence where Dredd is framed for murder, put on trial and found guilty by the Council of Five is adapted from 'The Day the Law Died'. In both the comic and the film Dredd seemingly murders a journalist who has portrayed him in an unflattering light.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/yvdmm5tqd/image.png)
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/b4e942w45/image.png)
In the comic the murder was committed by a robot doppelganger created by Judge Cal, while in the movie it is Rico himself disguised as Dredd. In both stories the real Dredd is arrested by the Special Judicial Squad.
Judge Dredd was created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra for the British science fiction comic 2000 AD, and many of the characters and storylines featured in the 1995 movie are lifted directly from the source material. The storyline about Rico Dredd returning to Mega-City One to take revenge against his brother is adapted from 'The Return of Rico!' (2000 AD Prog #30, September 1977).
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/4zwe189w5/image.png)
The storyline about Dredd being framed for murder and having to clear his name is adapted from 'The Day the Law Died' (2000 AD Prog #89-108, November 1978-April 1979). The plot about Dredd teaming up with Fergee to regain control of Mega-City One from a corrupt Judge is also adapted from this arc.
There are many other comic stories referenced throughout the film, so let's break the movie down and see just how closely it adheres to the source material.
Like the comics, the movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States where most of the human population is crammed into vast Mega Cities that offer sanctuary from the irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth. Mega-City One is the city state covering the east coast of America. The version presented in the movie is visually faithful to the comics.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/belrnjl1x/image.png)
The citizens of Mega-City One are shown to live in huge blocks serviced by robot custodians. This is also accurate to the source material.
The first major character we meet in the film is Fergee (spelled 'Fergie' in the film's credits) played by Rob Schneider. In the movie his full name is given as Herman Ferguson, while in the comics he was simply known as Fergee. In the comics Fergee was an insane halfwit who inhabited the Undercity and played a significant role in 'The Day the Law Died'. In the movie he's a small-time crook who serves as the comic relief.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/acbl509yd/image.png)
Both versions of Fergee forge an alliance with Dredd while the latter has been exiled from Mega-City One. In the comics they teamed-up in the Undercity beneath Mega-City One, while in the movie they are forced to work together after their prison transport crashes in the Cursed Earth. In both stories Fergee helps Dredd sneak back into Mega-City One and dethrone the insane Judge who is ruling the metropolis (Cal in the comic, Rico in the film).
When Fergee arrives at his new apartment he finds a block war is in progress. Block wars are a common occurrence in the comics.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/50wokbb11/image.png)
The Judges' uniforms in the movie are mostly faithful to Ezquerra's design, except they're not made of leather and feature codpieces. Aside from those two deviations, they're accurate to the comics.
It's during the block war that we see Dredd himself for the first time, played by Sylvester Stallone. Judge Joe Dredd debuted in 'Judge Whitey' (2000 AD Prog #2, March 1977) and has remained a standard fixture in 2000 AD ever since. The Dredd of the comics is a fascist authoritarian bully and the most feared enforcer of Mega-City One's totalitarian judiciary. He is known for dispensing extremely harsh punishments for the most trivial of offences (e.g. blowing off a citizen's leg for ignoring a 'WALK DON'T RUN' sign). The Dredd in the film initially appears the equal of his comic book counterpart in both temperament and methodology, but gradually mellows into a more humanised characterisation as the story progresses.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/iul19cvwl/image.png)
Stallone's distinctive scowl recalls Ezquerra's original design for the character, while his muscular physique evokes the way artists were portraying Dredd in the eighties and nineties comics. Although Stallone's eyes are brown in real life, he wore blue contact lenses for the film. This was likely a nod to the cover of 2000 AD Prog #661 (January 1990), which depicts Dredd with blue eyes.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/vlz7fuxyt/image.png)
Perhaps the single biggest criticism of the movie is that Dredd removes his helmet to reveal his face. The Dredd in the comics has never shown his true features, and any time his helmet is removed there is always some obstruction to prevent his countenance from being clearly seen (e.g. bandages, the shadow beneath the brim of his hat, steam, etc). However in both the comic and the movie it is revealed that Dredd was cloned from Judge Fargo, and Fargo's facial features were shown in 'Dredd Angel' (2000 AD Prog #377, August 1984). This story predated the revelation that Dredd was Fargo's clone, which is why they allowed his features to be shown. And as you can see from the image below, Fargo's appearance was not unlike Stallone's.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/ci5vz95md/image.png)
Dredd's first line of dialogue in the film is his catchphrase from the comics: "I am the law!" This line is repeated several times throughout the movie.
Dredd's 'Lawgiver Two' in the film is a modified version of the Lawgiver Mk II from the comics. The movie Lawgiver shares several special functions with the comic version, including standard fire, rapid-fire mode, grenade shots, signal flare (called 'incendiary' in the comics) and armour-piercing rounds. The 'double whammy' function was created for the movie and does not feature in the comics.
In the comics the Lawgivers are booby trapped to self-destruct if anyone other than their rightful owner tries using them. They feature a similar security system in the movie, except instead of exploding they electrocute the person wielding them.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/fp0fiw5hx/image.png)
Dredd's Lawmaster motorcycle is visually faithful to the version in the comics.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/u87kkbls5/image.png)
Also present at the block war is Judge Hershey, played by Diane Lane. Judge Barbara Hershey first appeared in 'The Judge Child Quest Part VII' (2000 AD Prog #162, April 1980). In both the comics and the movie, she is one of the few people Dredd seems to like and respect. The movie suggests they have romantic feelings for each other, while in the source material their relationship remains purely professional.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/5ey0jnnc5/image.png)
In the comics the citizens of Mega-City One use a special dialect known as Mega-Speak. Examples of this, such as the expletive 'Drokk!', can be heard throughout the movie.
The film's depiction of the Grand Hall of Justice incorporates the eagle-motif from the comic book version.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/75hi4clr9/image.png)
It's at the Grand Hall of Justice that we are introduced to Chief Judge Fargo, played by Max von Sydow. Eustace Fargo was the first Chief Judge in the comics, as well as the source of the DNA code from which Dredd was cloned. He first appeared in the aforementioned 'Dredd Angel'.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/526mdr005/image.png)
As Chief Judge, Fargo leads the Council of Five. Also on the council is Judge Griffin, played by Jürgen Prochnow. In the comics Judge Griffin was the principal of the Academy of Law and was one of Dredd's allies during the war against Judge Cal. He was portrayed as an honest lawman and succeeded Cal as Chief Judge. In the movie he's portrayed as a villain and tries to take over Mega-City One with Rico's help. The Griffin in the comics did eventually become a villain during 'The Apocalypse War' storyline (2000 AD Prog #245–267 & #269–270, January-July 1982), but only because he had been brainwashed by the Soviet forces of East-Meg One. Ultimately he was executed by Dredd. His role in the film incorporates elements of Judge Cal's storyline from the comics. Griffin first appeared in 2000 AD Prog #27 (August 1977).
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/y4kwgl9f9/image.png)
The main antagonist in the film is Rico Dredd (played by Armand Assante), who first appeared in 2000 AD Prog #30. In both the comics and the movie, Rico was once Dredd's closest friend and a fellow Judge. But then Dredd caught Rico in the act of a crime and was forced to pass judgement on him. In the movie Dredd didn't know Rico was his brother when he judged him, but in the comics he knew all along.
In the comics Rico was sentenced to a penal colony on Titan where he had his mouth and nose surgically sealed as part of a procedure to allow him and the other prisoners to work in a vacuum. When he returned to Earth, he still bore the facial scars of this procedure. In the film he bears no such disfigurements and was instead imprisoned at a penal facility in Aspen.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/u87kkmbl1/image.png)
In both stories he escapes from prison and journeys to Mega-City One with the aim of taking revenge against his brother.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/jy55lddzp/image.png)
Like the movie version of Judge Griffin, much of Rico's storyline in the film is taken from the comic book character Judge Cal. The movie version of Rico also has parallels with the comic character Judge Judd, but I'll say more about that later.
Upon returning to Earth in the movie, Rico promptly acquires the instruments he will need to exact his revenge. This includes a Judge's uniform, a Lawgiver pistol and an ABC robot. The ABC Warriors is another popular series published in 2000 AD, beginning back in Prog #119 (June 1979). The leader of the team in the comics is a robot called Hammerstein, who had actually debuted a year earlier than Prog 119 in the 2000 AD sister publication Starlord: specifically in 'The Day of the Robot' (Starlord #1, May 1978). Although the robot in the movie is never referred to as Hammerstein (except in the acknowledgements on the end credits), he is clearly modelled on the same visual design. Hammerstein is a good guy in the comics, while the ABC Warrior in the movie is portrayed as a villain.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/3n51p16mt/image.png)
The sequence where Dredd is framed for murder, put on trial and found guilty by the Council of Five is adapted from 'The Day the Law Died'. In both the comic and the film Dredd seemingly murders a journalist who has portrayed him in an unflattering light.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/yvdmm5tqd/image.png)
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/b4e942w45/image.png)
In the comic the murder was committed by a robot doppelganger created by Judge Cal, while in the movie it is Rico himself disguised as Dredd. In both stories the real Dredd is arrested by the Special Judicial Squad.
![](https://s8.postimg.cc/g31rils79/image.png)